Repair-patch.



REPAIR PATCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3.1915.

1,296,349. 1 Patented Mar. 4,1919

'To all ch Je 'it may concern:

'- Again,

that leach tubes-have,i proven to be 'tain t'o take place,

erstes rematar caricia;

escasa Branson woon, or nULUTmMmNEsoTA, AssIGNon or cnn-HALF 'ro i winrrunn c. .woonor MiNNneroLis, MINNESOTA.

` EEPAR-PATCH.

Lenssen, 4

Be it known that l, Gf' onen BnN'roN Woon, a citizen :of the United States, .residing at Duluth,- in the county of St. Louis and State. of Minnesota, have invented a newand 115e-, ful Improvement in Repair-Patches, of

which the `following a specification. y

Prior to .the lpresent invention it was the custom to repair :small punctures in the inner tubes of pneumatic .tires by the use of patches in the shape of. disks, centrally arranged plugs projecting from one-side. `The construction of these' patches was such that they were of no value in the repair of cuts or tears of appreciable length. they were relatively expensive in patch had to be made up separately. y f I v x"ilhese objections the present invention is designed to overcome, its purpose being to provide a patch which may be made up in sheet form, and from which pieces of the proper shape and site for the repair ofy either a small puncture or a large tear may be cut at will, said patch being of a nature such that it can be easily and quickly ap-4 plied without the use of tools, and also belng capable of holding permanently without creeping, loosening vor leaking and without being vulcanized. The object is further to provide a patchvof the nature stated that may be applied when cold. The patch may also be used for repairing the broken fabric in casings and for other purposes.v

The attempts 'to adapt the disk o r plug patches heretofore mentioned to the repair of cuts 'or tears of appreciable-sizeininner failures itibeing found that .peeling or creeping is almost cernecessary in 'practice to resort to the use of vulcanizin'g ou fits notwithstandingthe expense, annoyance and loss of time incident thereto. The action of the patch in peeling or creeping tube may perhaps be better' understood by rubber 'band gripped between-the thumb and forengerzb if thenails are brought tightly together on lthe band all movement takes place between the nails' and the point at which the pulling' force is applied, and is due tothe elasticity of the rubber' if, on the other hand, the nails are not brought tightly together but Specification of Letters Patent.

Application mea :my s, 191s. serial' nu. eases.

often with consequently itv has been away from the face of the inner flat Patented Mai. 4, i919.

the rubaer is heldjby pressure exerted between the Afleshy parts of thefi-nger and thumb, there is introduced an added element of creeping or slipping of the rubber aciJoss vthe skin although the pressure actually exerted may be much vhigher than 'in the former instance. This creeping, it will also be observed, is'also a function of the number of variations in the pulling force and of time.' In lthe patches which have heretofore been devised, that is, those patches intended for use without vulcanizing tools, the rubber face next t0 the innertube-at the edges at least-has been comparatively free to give and take withthemovements of the tube, from which a tendency to creep in reference t0 thelatter has been set up, lthe actionbeiig comparable to that which took place between the lfleshy 'part of the thumb and fingerand -the rubber band. This creeping soon re-LA sults' in actual separation of thezpatch from eoV the tube which, once'set up, continues ,on acc count of .the tendency of the friction between the patch and the inner surface of the outer casing to roll the edge of the patch away from the tube. Even a Vvery narrow free edge is suiicient lto cause the ultimate failure of the patch. l

To the end of overcoming the above 'ob'- jectiors and of producin a patch which is thoroughlycommercial in that it may be manufactured at a very small cost, in that it may be applied to repair either large or small holes without the use of vulcanizing tools, and in that it affords a permanent bond with the tire) the invention consists .in a tire patch formed of a sheet of fabric impregnated with a body or thin layer of rub` ber or `gutta perchavvulcanized to the fabric said fabric being co-extensive with the body), together 'with a very thin sheet facing -of uncured gum appliedto the body portion,

and a protective sheet or.- cover whereby the `air is excluded from the gum, vsaid cover bling removed when. the patch risstobe app jed; y

This patch is made up in sheets from which pieces of proper size and shape are cut corresponding to the particular cut or tear. The pieces, while very iiexible, `are substantially nonlastic (as compared withA rubber patches) and when applied to the outer surface vof theinner tube bond therewith to, the eXtreme outer edgcvof the patch, and give rise to 'an action analogous-to the gripping of the rubber band with the thumb or finger nail; in otherwo'rds, prevent creep ing, and, with it, the initial 4separation between the edge of the patch and the tube. The entire stress across the cut or tear may be said to pass through the patch from one edgerportion of the latter to the Iother, thus eliminating theopportun-ity for the tube and patch :to crawler creep in reference to one .by steam vulcanizing. In applying the body the fabric is first treated with gasol'ene, benzin', kerosene or other 'suitable i ',inaterial whch'will soften the rubber in condition to ll ythe interstices in the fabric and assist in causing 'the' rubber to unite and adhere to lthe 'canvas and become substantially a unitary structure therewith. The' means for pressing and heating these two elements may beby passing them between hot; rollers or pressing thembetween' vhot plates orother suitable 'elements'. f After the canvas backing and body of rubber'B have 'been fastened together and the rubber cured, .the exposed l surface'cf the sheet of rubber is coated with a thin layer C of uncured rubber gum of airy curing quality or i'fulcanizin'g stock, and

the surface vof this vuncured rubber is then protected from the effects ofthe atmosphere bysecurmg a covering strip or sheet of thin fabric D yto said surface, said fabric being removed by stripping when the repair patch is used. As Va resultthepatch provides a medium which' is strong and durable, and which'is not a'eetedby the heating of the tire,'eXcept to further cure the surface C, which is thin a'scomp'ared with the thickness of the body and backing of the patch. In use the broken or perforated portion of the inner tube to be repaired is cleaned lwith gasolene or other suitable means and then coated with a thin layer of rubber cement. The .repair patch of suitable size and shape has lts covering D then stripped, and the uncured rubber side pressed firmly by hand over the cement coated portion of the tube` so as to close the opening or perforation. The tube is then reinserted in the casing in the usualinanner, and the pressure exerted by indating the'tube further holds the patch f in pla-ce. The body of cured rubber mounted 'on Jfabric as employed augmente the LstrengthY ofthe patch and prevents it from to uses other than those above set forth with' necesa@ breaking or loosening and the thin covering permanently in place without vulcanizing.

am aware that cement patches have been employed in which4 uncured rubber has been used as va body over al base or foundation made of fabric," but such structure has ree quired vulcanizing after being placed on the tube to holdthe patch in place permanently. My invention provides apermanentpatch without vulcanizing on the surface of the tube. When desired the patch can be applied in a similar manner as described above to the fabric of the inner surface of 4outer. casings to repair blow-outs and punctures.

ln accordance with the patent' statutes, l have described .the principles of operation of my invention, togetherwith the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but l desire to have it understood that the construction 'shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out byA other means and applied in the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, what l. claim as new and desire to protect by'lietters Patent is:

`l. A repair'patch for inner tubes and tires, comprising a backing of fabric, a layer of rubber placed upon said fabric, said backingv being co-extensive with the' rubber layer, said backing and rubber layer being vulcan f ized together under pressure to form a unitary structure of sufficient thickness to entirely prevent the passage of air at all pressures to whichA thel tube issubjected, saidv structure being substantially nonelastic in one direction, a thin facing of uncured gum permanently adheringto they surface of the rubber Vlayer opposite the fabric, and a protective fabric 'covering strip removably adhering to the surface of the gum covering, whereby, when the cover- ,ing is removed, the facing .of fresh uncured gum may be applied to the tube which it is -desired to'patch and may be retained thereon to unite the tary air-tight fa ric without further vulcanatch and tube into one uniization than ensues from the heating of the saidrubber layer, and a protecting fabric covering strip removably adhering to the surface of said gum covering.

3. A repair patch for inner tubes and ltires, con'iprising a relatively thick backing of fabric, a relatively thin layer of rubber placed upon said fabric, said v'backing and rubber layer being; vulcanized together under pres-y sure to form a unitary structure in which the fabric is (5o-extensive with the rubber, said structure being of sufficient thickness to entirely prevent leakagevof air therethrough at all pressures to which the tube or tire is sub,- jected, a thin facing of uncured gum permanently adhering to the surface ofthe rubber layer oppositethe fabric, and a protective fabric covering strip removably adhering to the surface of the gum covering, whereby, when the covering is removed, the facing of fresh uncured gum may be applied to the tube which it is desired to patch and naar be retained thereon to unite the patch and tube into one unitary air-tight fabric without further vulcanization than ensues from the heating ofthe air in the tire in ordinary use. Y

4. A thin repair patch for thin fluid tight rubber articles comprising a thin sheet of fabric impregnated with rubber vulcanized thereto to form a body, said body being of Athickness sufficient to prevent leakage of ditions to which the patch is ordinarily'subjected, said fabric. being coextensive with the body whereby the body is rendered lsubstantially non-elastic throughout, a 'facing of gum permanently adhering to one face of the body and being co-extensive therewith, and a removable air tight coveringfor the eXposed surface of the gum'.

6. A repair patch for the outer surface of a tire tube comprising a sheet of fabric forming the outer surface of the patch for contact with the shoe, a Sheet of vulcanized rubber contacting with the inner face of said fabric, a sheet Vof raw or uncured rubber adhering to the inner face of said vulcanized sheet and eifectually closing the joint between the edges of said vulcanized sheet and the tube, and a removable fabric adhering to the outer surface of said` raw rubber sheet, said raw rubber sheet becoming vulcanized on the tube through the heat-producedby the tire shoe on the outer surface of the patch.

7. A thin sheet of tire patch material ine cluding a backing of fabric, a layer of vulcanizing rubber applied to one side of said backing and secured to the entire surface thereof by being vulcanized, and a non-vulcanized layer of vulcanizing rubber secured to said vulcanized' layer.

8. -A thin sheet of tire patch 4material in cluding a backing of fabric, a layer of vulcanizing rubber applied to one side of said backing and secured to the entire surface thereof by bein vulcanized, and a layer of unvulcanized ruv ber secured to said vulcanized layer. z

In l5testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE BENTON WOOD- Witnesses :ne

STELLA L. VASCHENBERGER, F. G. BRADBURY. 

